Sunday, November 06, 2011

'Significant' Damage

Published November 06, 2011

| Associated Press

SPARKS, Okla. –

One of the strongest earthquakes in state history rocked central Oklahoma late Saturday after a day of smaller quakes, a 5.6 magnitude temblor that rattled a college football stadium 50 miles away, shook buildings, caused cracks and was felt as far away as Tennessee, authorities said.

Emergency authorities had no immediate reports of injuries or major damages, but unspecified damage to buildings located close to the quake's epicenter was reported by the Lincoln County Emergency Management department.

"Very significant damages are being reported in southern Lincoln County," the department posted on Facebook.

The reports in the late-night hours were sketchy and the extent of damages remained uncertain early Sunday. The quake was one of several to rattle the state Saturday, including a magnitude 4.7 earthquake that shook the same area early Saturday.

The quake could prove the most powerful on state record if the 5.6 reading reported by the U.S. Geological Survey stands. The seismic monitoring agency said the quake struck at 10:53 p.m. local time Saturday and was centered about 44 mile east-northeast of Oklahoma City. It had initially reported the temblor as a 5.2 magnitude quake.

It said the quake struck near the community of Sparks -- in eastern Oklahoma between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The temblor shook the stadium at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater just at the end of the school's football game with Kansas State. No. 3 Oklahoma State's players were gathered in the locker room under the Boone Pickens Stadium stands just after a 52-45 win

against No. 17 Kansas State when the ground began to shake.

"Coach (Mike) Gundy was talking to me, everybody was looking around and no one had any idea," quarterback Brandon Weeden said. "We thought the people above us were doing something. I've never felt one, so that was a first."

The shaking could be felt in the stadium's press box for the better part of a minute before it subsided. The stands were already clearing out when the quake happened, just a few minutes after the down-to-the-wire game had ended.

"That shook up the place, had a lot of people nervous," OSU wide receiver Justin Blackmon said. "Yeah, it was pretty strong."

Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said no injuries were reported to emergency management officials and that there had been no reports of injuries. She also said the authorities had no immediate reports of major damages.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported from Golden, Colo., on its website that it monitored a 5.6 magnitude quake at 10:53 p.m. local time Saturday and said it was centered about 44 miles east-northeast of Oklahoma City. It had initially reported the temblor as a 5.2 magnitude quake.

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